Solar panels

ABSTRACT

A solar panel system ( 10 ) comprising a solar panel ( 12 ) to be fixedly located such as to receive sunlight from a first direction (A), and a light guidance device ( 15 ) having an inlet ( 16 ) for receiving sunlight and an outlet ( 18 ) for projecting light, said light guidance device ( 15 ) having an operative or in use condition in which it is positioned with its inlet ( 16 ) directed in a second direction (B), and with its outlet ( 18 ) directed to project light therefrom towards the solar panel ( 12 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to solar panels.

BACKGROUND

Two principle kinds of solar panel are known: electrical photo-voltaicconverters and piped fluid heat exchangers. The present application isconsidered applicable to both kinds of solar panel, but especially tothe electrical photo-voltaic converter solar panel.

It is known to mount solar panels on the roof of a building. Examplesinclude the arrangements and/or installations described in U.S. Pat. No.4,601,282, U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,613 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,309. Ingeneral roof-mounted solar panels are fixed in position and this islargely essential for solar panels of the kind that function as pipedfluid heat exchangers. Systems have been proposed (e.g. GB-2374139 andWO-02/061849) that move a solar panel of the electrical photo-voltaickind from one side of the roof to another to maximise the solar panel'ssunlight exposure as the earth's rotation moves the building-supportedsolar panel. Such systems are considered complex and likely to beexpensive. Accordingly it is considered desirable to provide a solarpanel system that can overcome or at least minimise these and/or otherdisadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided asolar panel system comprising a solar panel to be fixedly located suchas to receive sunlight from a first direction, and a light guidancedevice having an inlet for receiving sunlight and an outlet forprojecting light said light guidance device having an operative or inuse condition in which it is positioned with its inlet directed in asecond direction, preferably opposite said first direction, and with itsoutlet directed to project light therefrom towards the solar panel.

It is envisaged that with the installation of such a system the lightguidance device can be arranged to “channel” the sunlight towards thesolar panel when the latter is not directly facing the sun.

Preferably said light guidance device has optical characteristicssubstantially similar to those of a periscope. Advantageously the lightguidance device includes one or more reflective surfaces. The latter maybe provided by one or more mirrors—planar, concave or convex—or by oneor more prisms to provide a total internal reflection effect from the oreach of said reflective surfaces. Powered pivoting means may be providedto tilt the or at least one of the said mirror(s) about at least oneaxis. Where powered pivoting about two or more axes is permitted, thismay be about axes that are orthogonal to one another.

In one embodiment, means mounting the light guidance device render itmovable from said in use or operative condition to an out-of-use orinoperative condition.

The mounting means may permit lateral movement of the device from anoperative or in use position in which it is substantially overlying thesolar panel to an inoperative position in which it is generallyalongside the solar panel. In one example of such an arrangement themounting means permits pivotal movement of the device with respect tothe panel whilst the device and panel remain in substantiallyequidistant parallel planes.

Alternatively or additionally, the mounting means may permit acollapsing movement of the device from an operative position in which itis spaced in said first direction from the solar panel to an inoperativeposition in which that spacing is reduced (thereby to minimise wind orstorm damage).

The mounting means employed may incorporate actuators to effect saidmovement. Said actuators may be piston-cylinder arrangements drivenelectrically and/or pneumatically or hydraulically. Optionally movementof said actuators may be microprocessor controlled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

By way of example embodiments of this invention will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a sketch of a first embodiment of this invention installed ona roof;

FIG. 2 is a sketch showing operative elements of the installed of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a sketch similar to FIG. 2 showing the mobility of areflective surface of the light guidance device of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a sketch similar to FIG. 1 showing one form of mobility (ofpart) of the light guidance device of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sketches similar to FIG. 1 showing another form ofmobility of the light guidance device of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sketches similar to FIG. 1 showing yet another form ofmobility of the light guidance device of FIGS. 1 and 2;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE(S) OF THE INVENTION

The solar panel system 10 of FIG. 1 comprises a solar panel 12 fixedlylocated on a pitched roof 14 such as to receive sunlight from a firstdirection A. The installed system also includes a light guidance device15 having an inlet 16 for receiving sunlight and an outlet 18 forprojecting light. The light guidance device 15 is positioned in use withits inlet 16 directed towards a second direction B, preferably oppositesaid first direction A, and with its outlet 18 directed to project lighttherefrom towards the solar panel 12. As illustrated in FIG. 2, thelight guidance device 15 has optical characteristics substantiallysimilar to those of a periscope and comprises a plurality of mirrors 29to receive light from direction B (i.e. from the side of the pitchedroof that is not provided with the solar panel 12) and impinging ontoinlet 16, the light guidance device 15 serving to redirect the lightreceived through inlet 16 and redirect it through outlet 18 and towardsthe solar panel 12. In an optional arrangement each of the mirrors orother reflective surfaces 29 can have a small motor or other devicewhich can change the angle of the mirrors or other reflective surfaces29, to change the direction of the light received and reflectedtherefrom, thus making them more efficient. These motors may becontrolled by one or more sensors to determine the direction of the sunand therefore the best angles to point the mirrors or other reflectivesurfaces 29. There may be any number of mirrors or other reflectivesurfaces 29 and at different angles to those shown. The motors serve aspowered pivoting means may and serve to tilt the or at least one of thesaid mirror(s) about at least one axis. Optionally, where poweredpivoting about two or more axes is permitted, this may be about axesthat are orthogonal to one another.

If appropriate in certain special conditions, e.g. when the sun isbehind clouds or it is winter (and so the amount of light and heatshining is less than normal) the surfaces 29 can be moved to redirectlight from the same side of roof or panel 12, i.e. from the samedirection A (see FIG. 3).

Preferably the light guidance device 15 is movable from its operative,in use condition to an inoperative out-of-use condition. This may beachieved by the provision of mounting means that permit lateral movementof the device 15 from an in-use position in which it is substantiallyoverlying the solar panel (FIG. 8) to an out-of-use position in which itis generally alongside the solar panel (FIG. 7). Conveniently this isachieved by arranging for the mounting means to permit pivotal movementof the device 15 about an axis 30 at right-angles to the plane of thesolar panel 12.

Alternatively the mounting means may permit pivotal movement of thedevice 15 about an axis 30 in a plane parallel to the plane of the solarpanel 12. Such an up and down motion of the device 15 betweenrespectively operative and inoperative conditions for the solar panelmay be suitable where the solar panel is fixed to the side of a buildingrather than the roof

In still another alternative, and as intimated by FIGS. 4-6, themounting means for the device 15 may permit a collapsing movement of thedevice from an operative position in which its roof-adjacent plane isspaced in said first direction from the plane of the solar panel 15, toan inoperative or out-of-use position in which that spacing is less(thereby to minimise wind or storm damage). If appropriate, the sides ofthe device 15 may of flexible material to facilitate lowering andraising of the device 15.

The mounting means employed may incorporate actuators 31 (FIG. 4) or 32(FIGS. 5 and 6) to effect said movement. In the embodiment of FIG. 4said actuators 31 are piston-cylinder arrangements driven electricallyand/or pneumatically or hydraulically. Optionally the movement of saidactuators may be microprocessor controlled. Alternatively, in theembodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, the actuators 32 are motor-controlledrotational elements operative in a parallelogram fashion from the erect,operative position of FIG. 5 to the collapsed inoperative position ofFIG. 6.

In a modified arrangement, the positionally fixed solar panel solarpanel and the guidance device are mounted on the side of a building(rather than the roof).

In yet another modified arrangement, the positionally fixed solar paneland the guidance device are mounted on the ground (e.g. a garden).

Optionally, in any of the above-described arrangements according to theinvention, filtering means may be provided to reduce the light or heatenergy transmitted by the guidance device to the solar panel. Preferablysuch filtering means are adjustable to provide variable degrees offiltering.

It will be appreciated that although the illustrated arrangementsembodying the invention utilise planar mirrors as reflective surfaces,those reflective surfaces may alternatively be provided by one or moreconcave or convex mirrors or by one or more prisms to provide a totalinternal reflection effect from the or each of said reflective surfaces.

Other modifications and embodiments of the invention, which will bereadily apparent to those skilled in this art, are to be deemed withinthe ambit and scope of the invention, and the particular embodiment(s)hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, e.g.interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each,without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought.

1. A solar panel system comprising a solar panel to be fixedly locatedsuch as to receive sunlight from a first direction, and a light guidancedevice having an inlet for receiving sunlight and an outlet forprojecting light, said light guidance device including one or morereflective surfaces and a motor to tilt the or at least one of thereflective surface(s) about two or more axis that are orthogonal to oneanother, said light guidance device having an operative or in usecondition in which it is positioned with its inlet directed in a seconddirection, and with its outlet directed to project light therefromtowards the solar panel.
 2. A solar panel system according to claim 1wherein said second direction is substantially opposite said firstdirection.
 3. A solar panel system according to claim 1, wherein saidlight guidance device has optical characteristics substantially similarto those of a periscope.
 4. A solar panel system according to claim 1,wherein the reflective surfaces are provided by one or more mirrors. 5.A solar panel system according to claim 4, wherein the mirrors areplanar, concave or convex
 6. A solar panel system according to claim 1,wherein the reflective surfaces are provided by one or more prisms toprovide a total internal reflection effect from the or each of saidreflective surfaces.
 7. A solar panel system according to claim 1,having a mount which can move the light guidance device from said in useor operative condition to an out-of-use or inoperative condition.
 8. Asolar panel system according to claim 7, wherein said mount permitslateral movement of the device from an operative or in use position inwhich the device is substantially overlying the solar panel to aninoperative position in which it is generally alongside the solar panel.9. A solar panel system according to claim 7, wherein said mount permitspivotal movement of the device with respect to the panel whilst thedevice and panel remain in substantially equidistant parallel planes.10. A solar panel system according to claim 7, wherein said mountpermits pivotal movement of the device about an axis in a plane parallelto the plane of the solar panel.
 11. A solar panel system according toclaim 7, wherein the mount permits a collapsing movement of the devicefrom an operative position in which it is spaced in said first directionfrom the solar panel to an inoperative position in which that spacing isreduced
 12. A solar panel system according to claim 11 wherein the mountincorporates actuators to effect said movement.
 13. A solar panel systemaccording to claim 12 wherein said actuators are piston-cylinderarrangements driven electrically and/or pneumatically or hydraulically.14. A solar panel system according to claim 13 wherein movement of saidactuators is microprocessor controlled.
 15. A solar panel systemaccording to claim 1 wherein the solar panel is fixedly located on abuilding surface.
 16. A solar panel system according to claim 15,wherein the said surface is a wall of a building.
 17. A solar panelsystem according to claim 15, wherein the said surface is one side of apitched roof.
 18. (canceled)
 19. A solar panel system, comprising: asolar panel for receiving sunlight from a first direction; and a lightguidance device having an inlet for receiving sunlight and an outlet forprojecting light, comprising: a reflective surface; and a drive elementoperable to drive the reflective surface about two orthogonal axes;wherein the light guidance device has an operative condition in whichthe light guidance device is positioned with the inlet directed in asecond direction with the outlet directed to project light from theoutlet toward the solar panel.